An increasing use of electronics within vehicles and craft of all sorts has led to a need for sealing electrical connectors utilized to carry power and signals between components. An example of a conventional sealed or watertight connector that accommodates a plurality of contacts is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model, laid open, Number 102183/'88. In such application, a plurality of sealing members are provided with respect to electrical wires entering the connector to prevent liquid, such as water, from penetrating into the contacts or collecting in the contact-receiving cavities to cause malfunctions. Each wire of the connector has its own individual seal which requires not only assembly labor for each seal, but an opportunity for failure associated with the numbers of seals and contacts. Japanese laid open Patent Number 43972/'91 teaches the use of a single, generally plate-like sealing member having a plurality of openings for accommodating the wires associated with a connector. The seal of this patent, however, is not supported on both sides, and internal pressure within the connector, pressure differentials, can cause the seal to become curved or deformed, or even dislodged, with the result that its sealing characteristics are degraded allowing leakage along wires into the inside of the connector. Strains on the wires themselves can also cause a seal deformation resulting in leakage.
Other types of seals to seal the interior of connectors include gaskets that fit between the mating faces of connectors, the application of sealing material to the rear of a connector, and special containers in which the connector is fitted following assembly.
Each of the foregoing techniques has a certain utility and a certain shortcoming. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved seal for electrical connectors. It is a further object to provide a one-piece seal hat accommodates multiple wires and at the same time, seals the interior of a connector from moisture on the like entering apart from wire apertures. It is yet a further object to provide a low cost and easily used seal for multi-contact electrical connectors.